Gephardt weighs speaker, White House bids for 2000

Published: Friday, November 13, 1998

WASHINGTON (AP) - Dick Gephardt said Thursday he is seriously considering a presidential race despite pressure from some Democratic officials who want him to remain in the House and set his sights on the speakership.

"I'm actively considering it, and I will continue to do so for the next two months," the House Democratic leader said of a presidential bid in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Democrats who want Gephardt to stay put have various motives.

Some think he is the party's best hope for leading the effort to seize back the House in 2000. Some are simply supporters of Vice President Al Gore who would like the field clear of a tough rival.

Gephardt's political future was buoyed Nov. 3, when Democrats surpassed their own expectations and picked up five seats in the House. Six more would give them a majority. He had raised millions of dollars, campaigned for dozens of candidates and helped shape the party's midterm message.

If Democrats had collapsed, losing 20 or more seats, advisers say Gephardt almost certainly would have run for president. With the speakership a whisper away, he now faces a tougher choice.

Does he try to win the House or the White House?

"It's a hard decision, but it's a straightforward and simple decision," Gephardt said. "The decision is: Where do you best think you can do what needs to be done for the country - now and in the next few years?"

Gephardt and his allies have worked this week to dampen assumptions that he will not run for the presidency. Supporters say he wants to keep his options open, both because he hasn't made up his mind, and it's in his best political interest to remain a presidential prospect as long as possible.

In a wide-ranging interview, Gephardt didn't sound like a man prepared to concede the presidential race to anybody. He said both Gore and a likely GOP contender, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, can be beaten.

"One thing I've learned from having been through this before is the front-runner status is never where you want to be. (Gore) doesn't have it locked up. George W. Bush doesn't have it locked up. Nobody has it locked up," Gephardt said.